Chapter 9.1

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To Arad Jin.

I am Arina Rune Renslet, lord of Renslet in the Northern Grand Duchy and its representative.

I’ve heard rumors about the Arad Salt you’ve created.

They say that even the blandest dish turns into something as flavorful as a palace-made spice recipe when your Arad Salt is added.

Recently, I had my most trustworthy vassals and knights verify these rumors, and they confirmed their truth.

Therefore, I, Arina, wish to make a request, not an order, of you.

The letter began without a single flourish, as one would expect from someone of the North.

I quickly read on to see what exactly her request was.

I want to purchase the recipe for your Arad Salt.

The North is a land of scarcity where everything is precious. We are not wealthy. Recently, the spices imported through the Empire have further drained our already insufficient finances.

After acquiring the recipe for Arad Salt from you, I intend to share it widely with our people.

“…?!”

After reading her letter, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of novelty.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

As a grand duke, she could easily take the recipe for Arad Salt from me by force, making it an order instead of a request.

She could also take me to her castle and hoard all dishes made with Arad Salt for herself.

Or, she could buy the recipe for a pittance and sell Arad Salt at a steep markup through an exclusive trading company.

“A peculiar ruler.”

Yet, she chose none of these easy, tempting routes.

In exchange for the recipe for Arad Salt, I, Arina Rune Renslet, will promise you two things.

1. I will reward you with 50 gold coins on the spot.

2. I will grant you the title of Baronet, a hereditary title once held by nobles of the Eastern Continent.

Furthermore, I will allow you to retain the surname ‘Jin,’ acknowledging your noble roots and adherence to proper etiquette.

The ceremony for bestowing your title will be held this spring in the High Tower. I pledge this in the name of the Northern Grand Duchy.

The rewards she offered were significant.

One gold coin was worth 20 silver coins, and a single silver coin required 100 copper coins to accumulate.

Gold coins were a rare sight for the average person, something they might never see in their lifetime. Yet she was offering 50 of them, along with the title of Baronet.

While the barony came with no fief or manor, in a society with a rigid class system, the difference between a freeman and a minor noble was night and day.

Of course, the value of Arad Salt, which could replace spices, far exceeded these rewards. It could have a monumental impact not just on the North but the entire continent.

But given that this world lacks any concept of copyright or personal rights, I had to appreciate her offer as extraordinary for this era.

After reading the letter, I glanced at Arina.

Her face was hidden beneath a hood, but her blue eyes were visible.

Our eyes met—her blue ones and my black ones.

“What is her intent?”

To any other noble on the continent, this decision and reward would seem absurdly extravagant. I tried to guess her reasoning.

“Or perhaps she’s simply clever?”

In a world without the concept of patents, the formula and method for making Arad Salt were the only secrets. The ingredients were already known to those familiar with such things.

If I did nothing, copycat products would sprout up all over not just Haven but across the North before summer arrived.

Competitors like Polly weren’t scrambling to buy the recipe from me because they knew this too.

“No point in monopolizing it and earning a bad reputation.”

The Northern Grand Duke likely realized this as well, choosing to earn public favor and prestige rather than attempting a flawed monopoly.

Additionally, she likely intended to address the North’s trade deficit caused by spices.

“Then why reward me with gold and a title? She could just wait for copycats to emerge.”

I still couldn’t unravel this part of the puzzle.

“The Grand Duke wishes to spark a fire of passion in the North, starting with you.”

At that moment, a knight who had been reading the letter beside me spoke. He was an elderly knight named Dominic.

“The Swordmaster of the North, Frostblade Balzac, is said to be old.”

While guessing the true identity of Dominic, I asked, “Passion, you say?”

“Yes. Her Grace wants to demonstrate what happens when someone achieves greatness outside the battlefield, using you as an example to inspire others.”

“…!”

Hearing his words, I widened my eyes.

“She’s an extraordinary person.”

Her perspective was something even the 21st-century Earth rarely embodied.

At the same time, it saddened me to know that someone like her disappeared so tragically.

“I will gladly accept the Grand Duke’s will.”

Having finished the letter, I immediately knelt according to proper etiquette, accepting her request as well as her command.

Since the secret would inevitably be revealed, I was more than satisfied to sell it now at a high point.

Arina gave me a serene smile as she watched.

“Let me write it down for you right away.”

“Oh? Will you really?”

I took out a sheet of paper and wrote down the recipe for Arad Salt on the spot.

Then I carefully folded the paper and handed it to the elderly knight, who I presumed was Balzac.

“You’re remarkably decisive. I like it.”

“The attention Arad Salt has been drawing was becoming burdensome anyway.”

“Was it? It seems I was wise to bring gold. Here, take it.”

Delighted by my straightforwardness, Balzac handed me a pouch of gold coins as promised.

“The investiture ceremony will take place in spring when the weather warms. Come to the High Tower then. Her Grace will welcome you.”

“I am deeply honored.”

Even if the investiture ceremony didn’t go as planned, I wouldn’t mind.

“With the 50 gold coins I’ve earned, I’ll have enough to secure a stable life in the North.”